Marion County court records, Indiana, are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office and are accessible through online tools, official court portals, and directly at the clerk's office. MarionCourt.us will help you quickly navigate the publicly available information about the county's court cases. Additional sources include the MyCase portal of the Indiana Supreme Court, the Marion County Clerk's Office, and other state government resources.
Marion Court System Overview
Marion County is part of Judicial District 13 of Indiana — it is the only county in this district. The court system here is integrated with the city government of Indianapolis under the Unigov structure. Marion County has a Circuit Court (created by the state constitution) and a Marion Superior Court with numerous divisions handling criminal, civil, family, probate, and juvenile cases. The courts are located in the City-County Building.
Courts Serving Marion
Marion Circuit Court
Marion Superior Court
Includes several dozen divisions specializing in criminal, civil, family, probate, and juvenile cases. All are located in or near the City-County Building.
U.S. District Court — Southern District of Indiana (Indianapolis Division)
U.S. Bankruptcy Court — Southern District of Indiana
What Types of Cases Marion Courts Hear
Marion County courts hear a wide range of cases. Here are the main categories:
- Criminal cases — felonies and misdemeanors
- Infractions and traffic violations
- Civil lawsuits, including small claims cases
- Family law — divorce, custody, child support, paternity establishment
- Probate cases — estate administration, guardianship, conservatorship
- Juvenile cases — juvenile offenses, child protection, adoption
- DUI cases
District Court Cases in Marion
In the Indiana system, there is no separate "district court" at the state level in the traditional sense — instead, Marion Circuit Court and Marion Superior Court perform the functions of a general jurisdiction court. Felonies are handled by the criminal divisions of the Superior Court after charges are filed. Civil cases with large claim amounts also go to the appropriate civil divisions. Appeals from lower courts are directed to the Indiana Court of Appeals. Cases are assigned to judges according to the court's internal rules, and each criminal division handles cases from initial hearing to sentencing.
Magistrate Court Cases in Marion
Marion Superior Court uses magistrates (commissioners and magistrates) to handle certain categories of cases. Misdemeanors, traffic violations, DUI cases at the arraignment stage, and preliminary hearings in felony cases often start before a magistrate. Small claims cases in Indiana are limited to amounts up to $10,000. Lower jurisdiction civil cases can also be heard in separate divisions. Due to the large volume of cases in the state's largest county, magistrates in Marion often specialize in specific types of cases — for example, exclusively traffic cases or preliminary criminal hearings.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Marion
Family Law
Divorces, child custody, child support, protective orders, and paternity establishment are handled by the family divisions of Marion Superior Court. Petitions for termination of parental rights are also filed here.
Probate Cases
The Probate Division handles the administration of deceased estates, the appointment of guardians and conservators, as well as trust matters. These cases can be tracked through MyCase.
Juvenile Cases
The Juvenile Division handles juvenile offenses, child protection cases (CHINS — Children in Need of Services), and adoptions. Juvenile case records are confidential under Indiana law and are not available for public search.
How Cases Move Through the Marion Court System
- Case Filing — criminal charges, civil lawsuits, or petitions are filed with the clerk's office.
- Judge Assignment — the case is assigned to a specific division based on the type of case.
- Initial Hearing — arraignment for criminal cases; scheduling conference for civil cases.
- Pretrial Phase — filing motions, exchanging evidence (discovery), plea negotiations in criminal cases.
- Trial or Resolution — jury or bench trial, settlement, plea agreement, or default judgment.
- Post-Judgment — sentencing, filing an appeal, enforcement of the court's decision.
Electronic filing (e-filing) can be done through the system specified on the Marion County courts page.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Marion
The administrative management of the county's courts is carried out by the administrative judge of Marion Superior Court together with the Trial Court Administrator. Local court rules are published on the Indiana Judicial Branch for Marion County website.
According to the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3), most court records are public. However, some categories — juvenile cases, sealed records, and expunged cases — have restricted access. Indiana's public access rules regulate which documents are available online and which require a personal visit to the clerk.
Hearings are generally open to the public. Some divisions conduct remote hearings — check the participation procedure directly with the court.
For city-county public record requests, the copying cost is 4 cents per page; you have the right to review the record for free. More details are available on the public records request page.
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Marion
- Online Case Search — the MyCase platform allows you to search for cases by party name or case number. Official copies of documents can only be obtained directly from the court.
- Requesting Copies of Court Records — the clerk's page contains instructions on obtaining copies of various documents, including court calendars.
- Marion County Clerk's Office — the clerk's office is the official custodian of Circuit Court records and handles requests for certified copies.
- Inmate Search in Local Jail — the search tool allows you to find a person in the Adult Detention Center by name or ID. A direct search by booking number is also available.
- Indiana Department of Correction — the IDOC inmate database allows you to find individuals serving sentences in state correctional facilities.
- Indiana SAVIN — the victim notification system provides information on offender status and allows you to subscribe to notifications.
- Limited Criminal History Search — the Indiana State Police tool provides search results by name and date of birth.
- Marion County Sheriff's Office — the sheriff manages the jail, serves warrants, and court orders. For information requests, contact through the request page, phone: 317-327-1700.
- Property Records — the recorder's office maintains records of real estate transactions. Online search is available for free.
- Vital Records — birth and death certificates are issued by the Indiana Department of Health or the local health department. The Marion County Clerk's office does not maintain these records.
- Property Taxes — view current bills and tax payment history through the county treasurer's office.